


Bits & Pieces

by Darkshines1984



Category: Coronation Street
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-24 14:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16176749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkshines1984/pseuds/Darkshines1984
Summary: A home for any Sophie and Paula one shots I decide to write.1 - I'll take the blame from your hurt in your struggle2 - This one's for the torn down, The experts at the fall3 - On a night like this





	1. I'll take the blame from your hurt in your struggle

**I'll take the blame from your hurt in your struggle**

**Rating:** PG-13 (nothing too racy sorry!)

 **Summary:** Sophie is struggling with the guilt she feels over her mum being stuck in remand until trial. Paula is determined to help her young lover and not let her shoulder the blame alone.

*Title is from the Kodaline song ‘Shed A Tear’ which is well worth a listen to.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Paula was sat on the sofa in Sally house on a hot Saturday afternoon, desperately scribbling notes of both Tim and Gina’s accounts of the altercation he’d gotten into with Imran in the street the day before. By altercation was in fact referring to the hot-tempered man beating the shit out of his wife’s co-accused’s solicitor. It was yet another disaster on a week which had turned into a minefield for not only Sally’s case but also their longstanding friendship.

Paula had known any relationship with Sophie, Sally’s daughter, had the potential to blow up in all their faces. She’d known the risks from the second Sophie had reached out to shake her hand in the bistro and her heart had set off twenty to the dozen in her chest. Paula had been too captivated and intrigued to ignore what she was feeling and had gone diving in – thrilled when the younger woman was bold enough to kiss her and later ask if they could see each other again.

Ever since then they had been a heady mess of messages, phone calls, secret dates and contrived opportunities to catch just a glimpse of each other. They had been determined to keep it a secret until after the trial, so it didn’t risk effecting Sophie’s mum’s case. Paula had tumbled in much deeper than she could have imagined. So deep that on the eve of Sally’s pre-trial hearing when she probably should have been doing some last-minute prep, she had spent the night with Sophie instead. Isla had been staying at her fathers and it had afforded Paula and Sophie their first chance to be alone together in the privacy of one of their homes since their first kiss - and what a night at it been.

Paula had cooked them dinner and cracked open a nice bottle of wine and as soon as they had finished eating they had passionately tumbled upstairs to bed. Over five hours later the two had finally fell asleep in each other’s, exhausted and sated by some pretty incredible sex. Despite the fact she had been tired from the night before Paula hadn’t been able to resist Sophie’s message the next morning beckoning her round for a mid-morning tryst before Sally’s hearing. It had been a stupid move on both their parts but everything between them was so knew and exciting – they had been floating on a wave of lust and joy. Then that wave had come to a crashing halt against a sea wall. Sally had walked in on them and had freaked out.

Of course, her friend didn’t have to act so irrationally, that part wasn’t really her or Sophie’s fault. A logical person would have gotten the pre-trial hearing over with before sacking her. Instead not only had Sally sacked her and decided to represent herself but she had also called a prosecution witness against Paula’s advice and bloody threatened them. It had all gone to hell in a tin can and now Sally was in jail whilst on remand. Somehow Paula needed to pick up the pieces of the case and try to get her friend out of the hole she had dug for herself. She also needed to do it quickly because Sally was being bullied in prison and Sophie was quickly fraying at the seams under a disproportionate weight of guilt that the young woman had placed upon herself.

Now Tim had only gone and added to the mess (yet again) although he seemed to be shrugging off any potential blame for Sally’s incarceration – or the possibility of continued incarceration. A fact that irked Paula greatly when she knew that he had been at pains to blame Sophie at every opportunity afforded to him since Wednesday.

Just as Gina was wrapping up her version of events, the front door opened, and Sophie walked in. The younger woman had just finished her shift and looked weary to the bone – although Paula doubted that was down to work. Still, Sophie’s eyes lit up when the young brunette spotted her. A detail that gave Paula some encouragement after their wobble yesterday. There had been a moment when she genuinely thought Sophie may call a guilt-ridden halt to their fledgling romance, but she’d managed to gently talk the younger woman out of any rash decisions. That was before Sally had asked for her to come back on the case though, and she hoped that turn of events would partially lift the clouds from over them.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Sophie’s head had been in a spin ever since Gina had called her with the terrible news on Wednesday. Everyone in her family seemed to be angry with her and the one place she wanted to go to for comfort seemed like the worst possible set of arms she could fall into now. Or at least they had seemed that way until yesterday.

Because being caught with Paula had been the trigger for a disastrous day but the older woman was the only person that Sophie felt understood her and could make her feel safe. She had been willing to try and give that all up if it would help her mum. Had been willing to stop seeing Paula if it would make her mum accept the solicitor back to represent her. The older woman had quietly thought for them though and Sophie couldn’t deny that hearing Paula say that they had something ‘really special’ had made her melt a little. Because they did, she felt it too, and despite everything that had happened on Wednesday Sophie desperately didn’t want to let it go either.

Paula was back on her mum’s case regardless – Sally was having a rough time in prison and had rang begging for the solicitors help. Now though, Sophie was more worried than ever because her mum was being bullied – she had a black eye for goodness sake. Then Tim had done a decent impression of ‘Rocky’ on Inram in broad daylight in the middle of the street. That had been an awkward call to Paula. They hadn’t seen each other last night because the beautiful solicitor was trying to sift through the pre-trial transcripts to find a way of salvaging the situation and today she was at Sally’s house trying to make some sort of sense out of Tim’s actions.

Sophie had been in work on the lunch time shift but had promised she would go around and give her own version of events to Paula as soon as her shift finished. So that’s how she found herself outside her mum’s front door for the first time since that disastrous Wednesday. She’d avoided it like the plague since then, partly through guilt of her part in how it all turned out and partly because Tim was still raging at her every time he saw her. He was scared and stressed, she knew that – but she already felt bad enough without his temper tantrums. So, Sophie took a couple of steadying breaths before putting her key in the lock.

As soon as she entered the house she could see Tim sat on the single seat looking hot tempered and flustered. Gina was stood, propped up against the wall, just off to the side of him. Her aunt looked worn out, which didn’t surprise Sophie. Gina had been trying to hold everything together for the last few days and had made some effort to reassure Sophie that she wasn’t to blame. She could see the back of Paula’s head over the rear of the sofa – her focus down on the papers she was no doubt holding. When Tim and Gina looked up at her Sophie felt herself tense but then Paula’s head turned, and their eyes met, and those nerves washed away for a moment.

The solicitor broke out into a broad grin, her eyes sparkling with a fondness that Sophie still couldn’t believe was being directed her way. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she smiled back at her girlfriend? They hadn’t really discussed any labels for their relationship (and Sophie hadn’t pushed because she’d gleamed that Paula wasn’t fond of labels), but it felt like they were a proper couple especially now it was all out in the open.

“Hey love, how was work?” the older brunette greeted.

Sophie’s heart continued to pound at Paula’s open and easy use of the affectionate term. The fact the other woman genuinely seemed interested and cared about the answer only intensified the feeling. It had been a pretty rubbish shift, with everyone staring at her and whispering, but at least no one made any glib comments like they had been before the hearing. They were too busy pitying her instead.

“Oy! this is meant to be about Sally now remember - not your sex lives” Tim snapped loudly before Sophie had a chance to answer Paula.

“Tim!” Gina instantly scolded.

Sophie instantly felt her heckles raise, ready for the onslaught of comments. She’d had this all the way in the car to the prison yesterday and then all the way back. The only break had been the united front they had tried to show for her mother’s sake.

“What?!” he shouted in reply at Gina - “I can barely look at her after she messed everything up.”

In a moment of rash bravery Sophie rounded the sofa so she was stood in the gap between the two seats. She was well aware she was partly to blame for what had happened, but it was annoying the hell out her that everyone else was ignoring their own errors and being complete hypocrites. At least she owned her own disasters.  

“Oh, because you’ve been so perfect throughout, right?” she argued - “I seem to recall you attacking Duncan which didn’t exactly leave a glowing impression of this family! Didn’t learn your lesson though, did you?!”

Sophie knew the second it left her mouth that she had really hit a nerve. Tim’s face fell before contorting into an expression of rage, and he was on his feet in a flash. She instantly regretted taking him on because he was menacing as hell when he was in your face like this. He was a good bloke and she liked him, but his temper did occasionally unnerve her.

“If you had managed to keep it in her pants for another day then your mum would still be walking free!” Tim shouted – pointing his finger in her face.

The gesture made Sophie take a nervous step back to put some distance between the two of them and as soon as she made the gap it was filled again – just not by Tim.

“Don’t you dare put this all on her!” Paula growled at him – having leapt up off the sofa and pushed herself between the two of them.

Sophie’s jaw nearly hit the floor. She only ever seen Paula be steady and composed – well apart from their night together - but then that had been a very different kind of heated to this.  

“And you” Tim turned the focus of his anger onto the solicitor - “both of you!”

He waved his finger in Paula’s face too, but the older woman didn’t back off like Sophie had. Instead Paula seemed to grow as she stood squarer and glared back at him, happy to take him on toe to toe in defence of Sophie. It had been a long time since anyone had jumped into her corner and defended her so vehemently. She couldn’t recall anyone looking quite so hot whilst doing so. It set her blood racing in an entirely different direction than it had been just a few seconds before.

“We didn’t want Sally to find out before court Tim, but it wasn’t Sophie or I who made the really terrible decisions that day!” Paula insisted.

Sophie could see Gina trying to quietly creep closer, obviously intending to try and diffuse the situation. Paula was in mid flow now and there was likely to be no stopping her.

“Sally chose to ring and threaten that witness, Sally chose to sack me and represent herself, Sally chose to say all those daft things at the hearing and we all regret how it turned out – Sally included.”

“Oh, so it’s all Sally’s fault?!” Tim roared in the solicitor’s face – “You’re meant to be her friend but instead you’re banging her daughter behind her back!”

For one horrible second Sophie thought Paula was going to punch him and she dived forward and wrapped her arms around the older woman’s waist. She could feel the irritation humming through Paula’s body and every muscle seemed tense. Obviously, Gina had the same concerns that the situation was about to erupt because as Sophie pulled Paula back her aunt grasped Tim’s arm and pulled him towards her.

“That’s enough” Gina barked at all three of them - “this blame game isn’t helping anyone so that’s enough.”

Tim looked chastised and dropped his head whilst Paula stopped tensing and seemed to sink back down to her normal height. Sophie released her hold around the solicitor’s waist and Paula turned away and walked to the living room window – pressing her hands against the sill and bending over to take some steadying breath’s.

Gina looked at Sophie in an apologetic manner even though she had done nothing wrong and had no responsibility for Tim’s actions.

“Let’s go for a walk hey?” her aunt directed at him.

Tim nodded weakly and walked towards the door, throwing Paula an apologetic look even though she had her back to him and grasping his coat on the way out. Gina gave Sophie one last apologetic look before following him out of the door.

After the door clicked shut behind them the room was plunged into silence - apart from the solicitors deep breathing. Sophie could tell that Paula was still het up by the way in which Tim had tried to menace her. She slowly moved towards the brunette and gently wrapped her arms around Paula’s waist, laying her head between blouse covered shoulder blades.

Paula straightened up almost immediately, turning to the side so she could wrap her arms around Sophie, and pull the younger woman against her side in a loose hug. Sophie burrowed her face into the solicitor’s neck, finding comfort in the light floral scent of her perfume.

“I’m sorry I don’t normally get that worked up” the solicitor sighed, before placing a soft kiss on Sophie’s temple.

The younger woman didn’t say anything in response but held Paula a little tighter. She wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to gush about the other woman standing up for her or if it would seem childish. There was also no point ranting about Tim because for all his hypocrisy it didn’t remove the fact that her actions had partly led to her mum being in prison.

“This is all turning into a complete disaster” the younger woman sighed - “I mean it felt like a disaster when it all started but its only ever got worse.”

Paula drew back from her, shuffling so she was now completely facing Sophie. Gentle hands reached up and cupped Sophie’s cheeks and she closed her eyes at the sensation of the pads of Paula’s thumbs slowly caressing her cheek bones. She sensed the older woman lean in closer and soft lips grazed across her own before retreating away. Sophie pressed forward, chasing the sensation of Paula’s mouth on hers until she captured the older woman in a slow and sensual kiss. Her hands wrapped around Paula’s body, drawing them as close together as possible and Paula’s hands slid round and cupped the back of Sophie’s head and neck in response.

It was the first time they had kissed properly since being discovered on Wednesday it put Sophie’s head and heart into an immediate spin. They felt so good together and so right – she’d almost forgotten in the quagmire they were suddenly wading through how instantly and completely they had connected. The kiss was so heady that when they finally broke apart they fell into a clingy hug, both gasping for air. Sophie could feel the older woman’s heart pounding against her chest as dramatically as she could feel her own.

“Let’s sit down for a minute hey love?” Paula said gently – “I’ll make us a coffee and we can get the official stuff over and done with.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Paula was determined to make Sally’s case her first priority or at least balance her professional role with her growing relationship with Sophie. It was still hard to just sit next to the young woman on the sofa and not reach out and touch her or hold her hand when Sophie was clearly upset. Repeating her mother’s emotional phone call had been hard for Sophie and Paula was glad the ‘interview’ was nearly over.

“So, you are sure that was the way your mum worded it over the phone?” she clarified - “that Imran said he’d get his revenge on her?”

Sophie nodded her head slowly a couple of times and took a steadying breath. The young brunettes had her coffee clasped in both of her hands and Paula could see the way mug lightly shook as she spoke.

“Yeah because she told Leanne and Toya about the fact he was having it off with both of them” Sophie expanded.

Paula cringed slightly at the memory of Sally ranting to her in the street about how the opposing solicitor had no morals. It had made her feel guilty at the time that she was hiding something so significant from her friend and then Sally had thrown it in her face on catching her and Sophie together. Imran was petty for blaming his woes on Sally, but Paula wished the hot-headed woman had chosen to keep herself out of his business and not rumble him to Leanne and Toya. It had been playing with fire and if Paula had known she would have advising the other woman against it. Of course, that didn’t mean that Sally would have listened to her.

“I think I’ve got everything” Paula sighed - “now we can only wait and see if Imran reports the attack to the police.”

She had her fingers crossed that he wouldn’t. Yesterday, when he had crawled into the café, he genuinely looked quite guilty for how the pre-trial hearing had played out. That being said, he was still a bit of an arse so not even a slice of guilt may prevent him complaining about Tim. Sophie looked so shook by the whole thing that Paula was determined to shelf the case for now and switch to girlfriend mode. So, she placed her paperwork down on the coffee table and reached her hand out to Sophie.   

“Come here” she appealed.

The younger woman quickly placed her half empty mug down on the coffee table and shuffled closer on the sofa. Sophie wrapped her arms around Paula and rested her head on top of her chest, so the older woman lay back against the arm of the sofa, drawing Sophie back with her as she kicked off her shoes and bringing her legs up onto the furniture. Sophie kicked her legs up too, so she was half lay on Paula. It was quite a comfortable position, to be lounging across the sofa together like this. She could picture them doing this more often, when watching a movie or talking on an evening.

Paula kept her left arm wrapped around the younger woman but brought her right hand up to gently stroke through Sophie’s silky hair. She could feel the tension starting to drain from her girlfriends’ body under her comforting touch.   

“Have you read the hearing transcripts?” Sophie finally broke the silence.

The young woman’s voice was quiet. She’d obviously been mulling the question over for a while. Paula knew that Gina had told Sophie it had been pretty horrendous but of course Sally had banned both her and Sophie from attending so they hadn’t seen it for themselves.

“Yeah” she sighed.

“Are they really that bad?” Sophie asked – obviously picking up the resigned tone in her answer.

Paula had spent all of the previous night picking the transcript to pieces, so she could try and appeal the decision to imprison Sally until the trial. Gina had been right, Sally had made a complete mess of it. There was no point trying to hide that or lie to Sophie. The younger woman was no fool and she wouldn’t appreciate it.

“Your mum did herself no favours, but the situation isn’t irretrievable” she replied honestly.  

Sophie nodded and held Paula a little tighter. They lay like that in silence for a couple of minutes – Paula was still combing her fingers through the younger brunette’s hair and Sophie’s breathing had evened out so much she thought she may have sent the other woman off to sleep. It came as a shock then when Sophie suddenly pushed herself up on her hands, so she was leaning over Paula.

“Is Isla at yours tonight?” Sophie asked.

“I don’t think so” Paula replied - “do you want to come around?”

As far as she was aware, her daughter was staying at her dad’s tonight. Sometimes Isla would change plans at the last minute but if that was the case then she would just have to bite the bullet and tell her about Sophie. It would be a bit weird considering Sally had tried to set the two up and now Paula was dating Sophie. Isla was quite unpredictable – she could just shrug it off like it was nothing or there could be fireworks. It was unlikely to fall anywhere in-between.

“Is that okay?” Sophie double checked.

“Of course it is Soph” Paula smiled - “we can do whatever you want.”

She had been desperate to spend time alone with Sophie since Wednesday – well since the moment she met her really – but had been nervous about pressing the issue in case Sophie got the wrong idea. It was nice to go get a coffee together or lunch, but they were in a room full of people. They hadn’t been shy about holding hands in public, but Paula wanted to be able to wrap her arms around the younger woman, kiss her and hold her in a way that would be considered too much affection in public.

“I just want to be able to actually get some sleep” Sophie admitted - “I think I might be able to if you are with me.”

If Paula hadn’t realised quite how far and fast she had fallen for Sophie already then it would have hit her squarely in the chest now. Her heart felt like it was doing something athletic and her breath caught in the back of her throat. ‘If you are with me’ – the words seemed to be on loop in her head. It wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, nor would Paula expect one so soon into a relationship, but it felt massively significant.

She couldn’t resist pushing herself up off the sofa to meet Sophie in a slow and meaningful kiss, desperate to pour some of the affection she was feeling into her young girlfriend. Sophie’s lips moved against hers almost reverently – a slow dance that made her limbs feel like jelly and her head fog. When the younger woman pulled up and put of the kiss to gaze at her, Paula had to shake her head slightly to try and clear it. An action that make Sophie smirk knowingly.

“A take away and an early night sounds good to me” Paula smiled.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

It still felt surreal when Sophie was sat in the passenger seat of Paula’s fancy car. It seemed like this successful, intelligent, suave and well to do woman could have her pick of people. The lawyer was funny, interesting, compelling and incredibly attractive. Yet somehow, Paula’s attention was squarely aimed at her. Sophie knew she was attractive, but it wasn’t just the physical that seemed to keep the older woman coming back for more. There was a genuine interest in her and what she had to say and it thrilled Sophie. She couldn’t recall anyone ever being so attentive towards her when she spoke. Even when Paula was driving she seemed immersed in their conversation and whilst they waited in the Chinese for their order the older brunette delicately caressed her hand whilst Sophie spoke about Jack and how he was recovering.

Sophie had been to Paula’s house once before, the night they spent together before the hearing. However, they had met at a restaurant first, enjoyed a nice meal and then made the decision to get a taxi back to Paula’s. Tonight, they parked in the garage and entered the house through an entirely different door. Sophie carried the Chinese buffet for two they had bought – she’d insisted on paying half – her other handed interlocked with the older woman’s as Paula unlocked the door and led her into the house. She felt heady and dazed at the prospect of being completely alone with Paula again, somewhere with no possible interruptions.

The garage door led into a utility room next to the kitchen and Sophie placed the bag of food on top of one of the units – pulling Paula back towards her using their entwined hands. As much as tonight wasn’t about sex – Sophie genuinely did just need to be around the older woman – it was impossible not to reach out for intimacy with Paula.

She immediately clasped the back of Paula’s neck, her fingers tangling in strands of dark silky hair, and kissed her keenly. She ran the tip of her tongue against the seam of Paula’s lips and the older woman eagerly opened her mouth to Sophie’s explorations. The younger woman released Paula’s hand and wrapped her newly freed arm around the other woman’s waist – drawing them as close together as physically possible as she deepened the kiss. Paula’s left hand was cupping Sophie’s cheek, but the other hand was grasping and twisting at the material of her coat between her shoulder blades.

Sophie’s kisses became more frantic as Paula responded just as eagerly and Sophie pressed the older woman back against the protruding wall by the chest freezer. She was a little too eager though and Paula let out a faint “oomph” as her back hit the wall a little too heavily. It broke the momentum of the kiss and Sophie pressed her forehead against the other woman’s as they both sucked in air.

“Sophie” Paula moaned softly.

The older woman loosened her grasp on Sophie’s clothing – the other hand tenderly tracing the younger woman’s cheek and jaw line.

“Sorry” Sophie sighed, dipping her head to hide her blush – “It’s hard to resist kissing you when we are alone together.”

The other woman placed her forefinger under Sophie’s chin and tipped her head back up, so they could make eye contact. There was a soft look in Paula’s dark brown eyes, full of affection and a deep fondness. Sophie could feel her pulse racing underneath her skin just from being on the receiving end of such a gaze.

“Never apologise for that” Paula assured her - “but if you keep kissing me like that then all that food will be going to waste.”

“Well we can’t have that” Sophie quipped – stepping back so that Paula could extract herself from the wall.

She had just paid thirteen whole pounds towards the meal – considering she was only paid eight pound an hour that should be enough motivation to keep her hands to herself for the next twenty minutes. Sophie was determined to pay for some things though or at least pay a portion of them. The last thing she wanted Paula to start thinking was that she was just milking the successful lawyer. There was no gold-digging going on at all – if anything the difference in their financial situation was her biggest cause for concern – the age gap didn’t even register.

 Paula placed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth before extracting herself from Sophie’s hold and grabbing the bag of food from the unit. Sophie diligently followed her through to the kitchen. There was a central island and Paula gestured for Sophie to take a stool there at the far end. She did as direct and watched as Paula moved with ease around the kitchen, putting out plates, cutlery, glasses and a bottle of wine. There was an effortless grace in the way Paula moved, despite the heels she was wearing, and Sophie’s eyes were fixed firmly on the older woman.  It wasn’t until Paula began to uncork the bottle of red wine that she realised she had done nothing to help. Although Paula didn’t seem too perturbed to be under Sophie’s constant gaze. There was a slight smile gracing the older woman’s lips as she dipped her head and gazed at Sophie from under her eyelashes.  

“You look so good” the younger woman flirted.

“Mmm so do you” Paula husked in return.

Sophie couldn’t stop the heat rising to her cheeks and she knew she would be visibly blushing. She made herself busy by taking the various containers out of the bag, removing the lids and placing them between her plate and the table setting Paula had prepared for herself just around the corner of the island on Sophie’s left. As she did this Paula poured them a glass of wine each and left the half empty bottle within reach on the other side of the buffet.

“Has Isla booked her flights yet?” Sophie inquired as the other woman slid onto the stool next to her.

“Yes, she booked them last night” Paula replied - “she leaves in just over two weeks.”

The two of them began to spoon the various types of food onto their plate, Sophie taking a generous portion of fried rice and the sweet and sour pork. There had been a hesitancy in the older woman’s voice and although she didn’t want to push, Sophie knew how worried her girlfriend was about her daughters impending travels.

“You okay?” she asked kindly.

Paula looked up at her and smiled softly – a sign that her interest and concern was appreciated.

“For now,” the other woman sighed - “I’ll be a nervous wreck when she is away though.”

Sophie could understand Paula’s fears. She worried about Rosie living on a totally different continent and now she worried about her mum being in prison. She had no control of those situations, just like Paula would have no control over Isla’s safety.

“You just hear all these horror stories about people getting beat up or worse but then I am sure there were similar things happening when I chose to go” the older woman continued - “and to be honest she’s a damn site more sensible than I was at her age.”

Sophie smirked at her girlfriend. Paula had told her several stories from her travels on the first day they had chatted on the sofa in her mums and then a week later, on a date. From those stories, and the older woman’s general demeanour when they were together, Sophie was well aware Paula was good at getting herself in trouble. The older brunette was just even more talented at getting herself out of it. From the one time she had met Isla, Sophie had the impression that she was a little less wild!

“No Ukulele’s required then?” she quipped.

“Probably not” Paula admitted with a wry smile - “I’m more likely to get myself in trouble here than she is out there.”

There was a mischievous twinkle in the older woman’s deep brown eyes. It was charming enough to distract Sophie from getting too caught up thinking about how they had both landed themselves in trouble last time. Instead she let herself enjoy the easy chemistry and flirtation between them.

“Oh I can make sure of that” she chuckled.

 

 Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Paula had enjoyed dinner very much, both the food and the company. She liked buffet’s and tapas because she could graze a number of different tastes. It was more exciting and varied than a simple meal. It was an ethos she’d enjoyed in her personal life since divorcing Isla’s father. She’d had the odd date here and there, slept with the odd attractive person, but never been interested in committing to any of them. Then, Sophie Webster had swept in and offered up her hand to shake – and Paula had been sent into a tail spin.

She doubted Sophie had any inkling of how deeply she already felt for the younger woman. She was fascinated and attracted to her enough from the start to abandon all sense and reason and pursue not only a client’s daughter but also a friend. Sneaking around in secret may have been exciting but once that was blown out of the water the feeling didn’t decrease. If anything, it made Paula realise quite how much Sophie meant to her. How it made her chest ache to see the beautiful, kind young woman hurt.

And Sophie was hurting. Even though the other woman had been smiling and laughing over dinner, Paula knew it was a brief reprieve before the guilt and the worry would take hold again. At least tonight they would be together. Not like the last three nights when Paula had lay awake deep into the night, texting back and forward with her restless girlfriend and making whispered late-night phone calls of reassurance. She hoped Sophie had been right, that her girlfriend could find both sleep and comfort in her arms tonight.

They had curled up together on the sofa after dinner – Paula propped up on a cushion against the arm of the sofa and Sophie lay between her legs. The younger woman’s head was lay against her chest as they quietly watched the TV. She was going to find them a movie but on flicking through catch up Sophie had spotted a documentary series on the BBC about the wars of the roses. They had watched the first episode in a comfortable silence but as the second episode started Paula could feel her girlfriend getting tense again – could practically hear the cogs turning on her head. She wasn’t surprised when the younger woman spoke up.

“Do you think people look at me and think its my fault my mum is stuck in prison?” Sophie asked quietly – her voice only just loud enough for Paula to hear over the TV.

She placed her forefinger under the younger woman’s chin and tilted it up, so she could see Sophie’s expression. The younger brunette was nervously worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. Paula offered some comfort by caressing Sophie’s cheek with the pad of her thumb.

“Its common knowledge about her walking in on us now” the younger woman expanded - “although I have no idea how people know.”

Paula wasn’t surprised that it had spread like a wildfire – gossip usually did – and according to Sophie Tim had been yelling at her in the street about it. She felt a stab of worry that it may bother the younger woman that other people knew about them. Not because of the case and Sally but because of the age gap. She knew Sophie wasn’t bothered by the age gap, but it could potentially be off putting and uncomfortable if others were commenting. Paula shelved her own insecurities for the moment and focused on Sophie’s original question.

“Most people will blame Duncan” she tried to reassure the other woman - “as they bloody should.”

“Or they’ll think she’s guilty” Sophie said downheartedly.

No one that knew Sally well would think she had actually committed the crime, but Paula understood what Sophie meant. Others – those that only knew her in passing or as a name in the paper could potentially think she was guilty especially now parole had been revoked. Perspectives could be easily changed though, and Paula was back on the case and determined to atone for her own part in the mess.

“Not when I get her acquitted they won’t” she said bullishly.

Sophie smiled at the bravado – Paula wasn’t quite sure that it reached the younger woman’s eyes, but it was a start. Still, Sophie’s earlier words about everyone knowing about them played at the forefront of her mind. She wasn’t usually an insecure person but like with anyone, moment of doubt could set in. As confident as Paula had tried to be when first flirting with Sophie there had been an underlying fear that she may make a fool of herself. There was still a small part of her that was afraid that Sophie would wake up one day and realise she could have any beautiful woman of her own age rather than a woman twenty years her senior with a grown-up daughter.

“Does it bother you?” Paula stammered - “that people know about us?”

Sophie had looked at her blankly at first, forcing the solicitor to have to clarify and expand her question. The younger woman pushed up on to her elbow she was now level with Paula and looked at her with curiosity. She’d never shown any signs of insecurity before and Sophie seemed surprised by the question. Paula was relieved that it had caught the younger woman off guard because it meant that there was no expectation that the age gap could make her insecure.

“No, it’s what I wanted in the long run” Sophie reassured her - “just wish things had gone to plan and it had stayed secret until after the trial – or at least the pre-trial hearing.”

The other woman’s words were followed by a gentle peck to the corner of her mouth and then a more prolonged kiss on her cheek. Paula closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Sophie’s soft lips against her skin. What the younger woman was saying was fair enough. Even just another day of secrecy would have gotten Sally safely through the pre-trial hearing. Then they would have had weeks to iron out Sophie’s mums concerns and fears about their relationship before the trial at a time when she’d have been less on edge.

The younger woman pressed their foreheads together and Paula opened her eyes. She was met by Sophie’s brilliant blue eyes affectionately gazing down at her. She’d be entranced by those eyes since the moment they met. There was something open and kind about them. Even when Sophie was trying to remain blank her eyes gave away what she was feeling. Paula reached up and stroked a few stray strands of hair back behind the younger woman’s hair with her fingertips before resting the palm of her hand against Sophie’s cheek. The other woman pressed into the contact.

“It’s nice, being here with you, spending time alone together” Sophie expressed honestly - “despite what happened with my mum I’m glad we don’t have to sneak around anymore.”

“Me too” Paula couldn’t agree more.

Having Sophie in her home – being able to hold her and enjoy some simple domesticity – was blissful. It was only the second night they had spent together like this and she wanted many many more. Isla would be leaving in two weeks and there would be nothing preventing them spending every night like this if they wanted. Paula was eager not to have to wait that length of time though even though they would probably fly by. She had been toying with telling her daughter about them since Sally found out on Wednesday, but she was worried about how Isla may react.

Isla was usually pretty relaxed and understanding – Paula suspected the age gap may not even bother that much – it was more likely to be a source of amusement and constant ribbing once she’d gotten her head around it. The weirdness would probably come from the fact Sally had tried to set Sophie and Isla up and it had been that lunch that had sparked Paula’s own interest in Sophie. If her daughter didn’t take the news well then it didn’t give them much time to get over any differences before Isla would be disappearing off half way across the world for three months. Paula hated the idea of them parting under bad terms.

She also hated hiding things from her daughter though, which meant she needed to bite the proverbial bullet and tell her. Then she could spend time with Sophie without fear of Isla rocking up home unexpectantly and finding out in completely the wrong way.

Her attention was drawn firmly back to Sophie when the younger woman pressed a gentle kiss to her lips again. She went to deepen the kiss, but Sophie pulled back and smiled at her sweetly.

“I really like you Paula and I want to be with you” the younger woman proclaimed.

Paula’s heart picked up its pace again as she maintained eye contact with her girlfriend. Sophie had always been pretty bold with her after Paula had openly admitted her interest that first day in Sally’s house. It had emboldened the younger woman enough to initiate the first kiss and she had been the one to suggest she stay the night last Tuesday. Still the declaration caught Paula off guard because they hadn’t really talked about feelings yet. It had all just been meaningful looks and longing messages. She was glad the younger woman had said it first though as she had been trying to allow their relationship to move at a pace that Sophie was comfortable with.

“I really like you too Soph” she replied a little breathlessly.

Sophie smiled widely in response, her eyes glittering in a way that Paula hadn’t seen before even prior to the disastrous pre-trial hearing. The other woman looked really happy just because Paula returned her feelings and that made the older woman feel like she was soaring. She hadn’t felt so head over heels before even when she had married Isla’s dad.

On impulse she pushed up of the arm of the sofa and captured Sophie lips in a searing kiss. The younger woman responded just as eagerly and moaned into her mouth in encouragement. It was the kind of kiss that promised so much more – not just tonight – but for many future nights to come.


	2. This one's for the torn down, The experts at the fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working on the presumption that Ryan dies next week – Sophie is now carrying the guilt of Jack’s sepsis, her mum’s incarceration and Ryan’s death. She pushes away the one person who is desperately trying to be there for her.  
> Title is from the Greg Laswell song ‘Comes and goes’

Sophie could barely breath she was sobbing that hard. She’d been like this for hours, submerged in the silence of her room. She couldn’t believe that Ryan was dead. Their friendship had been up and down like a lift over the years, but she cared about him. Now he was gone and exactly the way he had been so terrified of it happening. Ronan had killed him. Ronan, who wouldn’t have known Ryan could have potentially saved his son if she had just kept to the story that she had been begged to tell the police.

She had changed it though, because the version was technically a lie, and now he was gone. That was on her. Everything was on her. She kept fucking up time and time again and other people suffered. Jack’s scrape had turned into sepsis and he was now an amputee. Her younger brother hated even leaving the house, loathed being at school and had lost all his dreams of being a professional footballer.

Then there was her mum. If she’d not text Paula that morning to come over before the pre-trial – if she’d just kept her bloody libido in check until that evening – then her mum would be at home now on bail awaiting trial. Instead she was damn jail bait, getting beaten and bribed, in a Manchester prison. Tim was still furious with her, Gina seemed to pity her, and her mum was so desperate for Paula to represent her again that she’d overlooked her initial disgust. Her relationship with her mum’s solicitor was a topic they never touched upon in conversation, so Sophie knew the resentment was still there simmering under the surface.

Her phone beeped from the nightstand and she reached out to grab it, struggling to read the screen, her eyes were that bleary with tears. It was Paula. The older woman was asking if she wanted to meet for lunch. Sophie couldn’t bare the thought of leaving her bed, never mind the house. She also had no desire to see her girlfriend right now. Not after the other woman had been the driving force behind her changing the damn statement to the police. So, she ignored it and tossed the phone somewhere behind her on the bed.

It had been Carla who told her about Ryan and what had happened. About how Michelle had been hurt too but her injuries were nothing compared to the loss of her son. Sophie could hear the reproach in Carla’s tone even though she had made some attempt to mask it. Sophie felt it regardless. She knew what loss of a loved one felt like. She knew how helpless it felt. It brought bile to her throat just thinking about her own experience of loss and how Michelle would surely feel it tenfold considering it was the loss of her child. The thought brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes and she sunk down below the duvet again and cried into the already sodden pillow.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Paula, knowing Sophie wasn’t on shift until late, had thought it was a pretty sure bet her girlfriend would meet her in the bistro for lunch. So, after finishing her meeting and texting the younger woman she had drove straight to Weatherfield. She was surprised she hadn’t heard her phone ‘ding’ on the ride over, but her surprise turned to concern when she checked her phone on arrival. Sophie had read the message but not replied to it. That really wasn’t like Sophie at all, the other woman was usually super quick to respond either in the form of a text or a phone call.

Paula parked up and headed into Speed Daal. She wondered if Sophie had been called in to cover a shift and was too run off her feet to reply. It wouldn’t be the first time her girlfriend had pulled a double to cover others. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs she doubted Sophie was there though. One of the lads, his name was possibly Daniel, was serving and Kate was working too. That meant they were not short enough to need Sophie too. She was going to leave when Kate walked over, obviously expecting to show her to a seat.

“Hey, have you seen Sophie?” Paula asked her girlfriends ex.

“No, not that I’d expect to see her out and about today, she must be so upset” the young woman replied morosely.

Paula looked at her blankly. She had literally no idea what Kate was referring too. It couldn’t have anything to do with Sally because she had been reappointed as her friend’s solicitor. If anything had happened to Sally, then she would know about it. Her next worrying thought was Sophie’s little brother Jack.

“You don’t know?” Kate asked when she saw Paula’s puzzlement - “her mate Ryan was run over by a car, he’s dead.”

Paula’s internal organs felt like they had sunk to the pit of her stomach. She knew the young man had been released after doing some digging for her girlfriend. She hadn’t really thought that Ronan would target him – not after the gangster had already disposed of the dealer who had sold his son the dodgy pills.

“Oh god” Paula gasped - “excuse me I have to go.”

She stubbled back towards the stairs – her head hammering to the rhythm of her heartbeat. Poor Sophie would be devastated, and would no doubt be blaming herself. Given time the young woman would understand that she had to tell the police the truth and that Ryan’s death was on Ronan’s hands and Ryan’s own hands for getting tangled up with a person like Cormack. For now, it would all be too raw to think that logically.

Paula guessed that Sophie would be holed up at home, especially as Kevin would be at work and Jack at school. She left her car parked up where it was and sped down the road as much as her heels would allow to check on her girlfriend.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Sophie heard the front door bell ringing and tried to ignore it. After the fourth time it had gone off though it was getting hard to block out. Whoever was there was being damn persistent.

She stumbled down the stairs, trying to rub the tears away from her eyes as she moved. Not that it could possibly hide the fact she had been crying – her face must be red raw by now and her eyes bloodshot. She swung the door open to find her girlfriend stood on the other side, hand raised to press the bloody door bell again.  

“I heard about Ryan” Paula explained immediately.

Sophie felt every muscle in her body tense. This was literally the last thing she needed right now. So, when Paula reached out to hug her she pushed the older woman’s hands away.

“Don’t” she instructed.

Paula physically flinched at the rejection, but it didn’t send her running. Instead the older woman stepped into the space in the doorway beside Sophie. She looked good, dressed in a fitted black pant suit with a crisp white blouse, but somehow that just irked Sophie more.

“Soph I know that you are probably angry with me for telling you to change your story, but I care about you and I couldn’t bare the thought of you getting into trouble for something you had no part in” Paula tried to calmly reason.

This was why Sophie had ignored the earlier text message. Paula was a solicitor, she was good with words, and Sophie didn’t want to hear well-reasoned arguments about how Ryan had brought it upon himself and that she was in fact completely blameless.

“Can’t you see that we are toxic?” she snapped at the older woman - “every choice I make over you destroys someone else’s life.”

Sophie knew it was churlish, petty and childish. She was putting the blame on Paula to assuage her own guilt. The hurt and the anger had welled up so much since hearing the terrible news that she couldn’t stop herself though.

“Please just try to calm down love, this isn’t your fault…” Paula tried to sooth.

The older woman raised her palms up in a placating gesture - Sophie just cut her right off though with more barbed words.

 “My mum is in prison, Ryan is dead! Michelle and his family – their lives are ruined!” she snapped angrily.

Her voice was raised enough for passers-by in the street to look over to doorway. Sophie blanked them out though, she tried to blank everything out except the hurt she was feeling. It wasn’t just for Ryan – it had been simmering under the surface for months. Now it was exploding out at the one person who had truly tried to show her any support. She was self-destructing. She just could put the brakes on to stop herself.

Paula recoiled so that she was slumped back against the wall. Her hands dropping back down to her sides and shoulders sagging. There was a resigned look on the other woman’s face – like she knew exactly what was coming.

“Sophie don’t…” Paula pleaded.

“I can’t do this, I can’t do us” Sophie chocked - “I want you to go.”

The older woman looked dejected, no more than that, devastated. It was a look that cut Sophie right down to the core because no matter how angry she felt, it hurt that she was making the other woman suffer. Her chest felt tight when Paula finally nodded, the older woman visibly swallowing down her own tears, before turning and walking away. Sophie hadn’t expected any argument from the other woman. Paula was the kind of person that respected your decision even if it cut like a knife. That just made Sophie feel twice as terrible – twice as destroyed.

As soon as Paula was out of the doorway Sophie slammed the door and let out the loud sob she had been holding in. She slid down the door, so she was sat on the floor, tucked her knees up and cried into her hands.   

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Paula wasn’t sure she knew exactly what had just happened. She’d expected Sophie to be upset and guilt ridden but she hadn’t expected it to be turned on her quite so brutally. Paula certainly hadn’t expected to make it no further than the doorstep before being unceremoniously dumped.

If it had been anyone else, she’d have walked away with her head held high and congratulated herself on a lucky escape. This wasn’t so easy to push down with false bravado and pride. Sophie had burrowed her way into Paula’s heart at the speed of a Jamaican Olympian sprinter. Concerns about the age gap or other people’s opinions had barely registered, such was the emotional spin that the first day with Sophie had put her in. Now her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest. She couldn’t recall ever having felt that way before.   

Paula wasn’t sure how she stumbled back to her car without being run over herself. Her head felt hazy, like she was walking through thick fog. She could barely breath, every gulp of air stung and she willed herself not to cry. Once she’d reached the relative safety of the car and climbed in she couldn’t hold it back any longer though.

The tears fell thick and fast as she lay her head against the steering wheel, her only comfort the fact the roof on her convertible was up today so she had a little privacy. Only a little though, as anyone who walked by and happened to look in would see how distraught she was.

She’d known she was in deep with Sophie – knew that what she was feeling was strong and special. Now that she’d lost the younger woman it was painfully clear that despite the short time they had known each other she had fallen in love with Sophie Webster.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

It had been three days since Sophie had found out about Ryan. Two days since she’d ended things with Paula. Since then the only two people she had seen or spoken to where her dad and Jack. If they didn’t live in the same household she probably wouldn’t have spoken to them either.

She’d text work to ask for a couple of days off to try and come to terms with what had happened. They had done her little good as she had resorted to the time old method of hiding under her duvet. It was time to face the outside word though – not really out of choice, but the fact she couldn’t leave them short in work any longer.

She dreaded seeing people though. The idea of people continually asking her if she was okay irked her, the fact she may see one of the Connor’s made her feel nauseous, and if anyone mentioned Paula she was convinced she’d break down in tears on the spot. She kept remembering the older woman’s facial expression as she sent her away. It hurt like hell, especially when thoughts of their wonderful dates crept in. She was caught between missing Paula terribly and directing all her anger at the solicitor. Her own mood swings were giving her mental whiplash.

All that swirling emotion made it hard to leave the house. She found ways of delaying her exit until the last possible minute by doing mundane little tasks. She checked the windows were closed, that the back door was locked, that all the lights were off, that she’d packed everything she could possibly need into her handbag. Sophie felt like one of those people with OCD who had to turn the lights on and off twenty times before leaving the house.

Sophie had only walked half way down the road when the worst scenario she had imagined came to fruition. Michelle, Ryan’s mum, was hobbling down the curb towards her. Her sister, Carla, was with her. Sophie knew that Carla didn’t seem to hold any real animosity towards her because the factory owner had been the person to inform her about Ryan. Michelle on the other hand, she had come to Sophie with Ryan and begged her to lie to the police. Michelle was going to blame her even more that Sophie blamed herself.

“Are you happy now?” Michelle shouted as soon as she caught sight of Sophie.

She slammed to a halt, her whole-body tensing as she prepared for the onslaught. The two sisters were upon her in seconds despite one being injured. Michelle prodded her finger sharply into Sophie’s chest, with Carla holding her back by the other arm.

“Easy – it’s not like she wanted him to get hurt” the sister tried to cool the situation.

“She knew what the risks were, and she dropped him in it anyway!” Michelle yelled.

Ryan’s mum jabbed her finger a little more firmly into Sophie’s chest, hard enough to sting, and she expected there would be a bruise to show for it. She made no attempt to stop the angry woman though, her own guilt keeping her rooted to the spot.

“I’m sorry” Sophie croaked.

Hot tears leaked from her eyes as soon as the words left her mouth. They burnt their way down her cheeks and made her vision swim.

“Oh - you’re sorry?” Michelle snarled - “well that’s okay then isn’t it!”

Her words were emphasised with a short sharp push that sent Sophie a couple of steps backward. She rebalanced herself with a steadying hand on the wall of the house they were stood by.

“Leave it, hey?” Carla cut in a little more firmly this time.

The older sister grasped Michelle’s arm and pulled at her. For a moment it looked like Ryan’s mum would try to pull back, but then she conceded and allowed Carla to half guide and half drag her across the road and onto the opposite curb.

Sophie let her weight slump backwards against the wall and she closed her eyes. Her head was pounding – like the beginning of a migraine - and all she wanted to do was go back home. She’d promised her dad she would venture out today and she’d promised work that she would be in. She’d let enough people down already, she didn’t think she could stomach anyone else being angry or disappointed with her. So, Sophie wiped her face clear of her tears as best she could, straightened up, and put one foot in front of the other. She could do this. She had to do this.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

It was the first time since Sally had been incarcerated that Paula was able to meet with her friend face to face. They’d had a few short phone calls, mainly for Paula to update the other woman of her progress with both the case itself and her attempts of appealing the decision to revoke bail.

She had managed to set up a meeting within the prison walls to make sure she had everything straight. If she did get an appeal hearing for the bail, then she could have very little notice before having to present Sally’s case. Paula wanted to be on top of everything this time. Plus, working kept her distracted from her personal life.

Or it least it was meant to. Unfortunately, Sally hadn’t got the memo and as soon as Paula took her seat across from her in the private visitor’s room the woman brought up the topic she was dying to avoid. The blonde may be sporting a fading black eye, but it hadn’t knocked the nosiness out of her.

“Tim told me about Ryan” Sally worried - “is Sophie okay, she hasn’t answered my calls since it happened?”

It was tempting to just brush past the topic and pretend everything was fine. They only had an hour – not enough time to be bogged down talking about her and Sophie but Paula daren’t lie to her friend again.

“She thinks it her fault - and mine” she sighed.

Sally looked completely confused by her words, obviously completely unaware of Sophie’s role in the lead up to Ryan’s death. Paula took a deep, shuddering breath, before trying to summarise what had occurred.

“She was out with Ryan the night Cormack died. When she realised he had drugs Sophie left and Ryan followed her. Then when he returned to his house Cormack was fitting. Ryan panicked and waited a few minutes before ringing for an ambulance. He wanted her to lie to the police about what time he left her the night to cover that delay. I told her not too and now Ryan was killed by Cormack’s father.”

Sally’s jaw had virtually been on the table the entire time Paula spoke. Her aghast expression would probably be amusing if the solicitor wasn’t so upset by the whole topic.  

“Well of course she shouldn’t lie to the police, hasn’t she learnt anything from me and Gina?!” Sally cried out – gesturing wildly with her hands as she spoke.

Paula sighed and rubbed the knuckles of her hand across her lips in frustration before dropping her hand back down on the table and tapping a quick rhythm with her fingers. She’d told Sophie much the same thing, had asked her if she ‘wanted to share a cell with her mother’. Had she pushed the younger woman too hard by demanding she go to the police? It had ultimately been Sophie’s choice, but had she made it sound like an ultimatum? Paula had thought about it over and over again since the younger woman had expelled her from the doorstep five days ago.

It would be easy to blame it all on Sophie’s age and naivety, but Paula had tried really hard to put herself in Sophie’s shoes. She understood why the younger woman had lashed out. Paula couldn’t imagine how it felt to lose a friend in those kinds of circumstances – especially after everything that had happened to Sophie’s family recently.

“If I hadn’t asked to keep us a secret from you until after the trial then you’d have never found out the way you did” Paula tried to explain – choking down a lump in her throat as she spoke - “and if I hadn’t made her change her statement to the police then her friend would still be alive.”

This was the straw that broke the camel’s back of her and Sophie’s relationship. They had weathered the storm when Sally had found out and her resulting temper tantrum had signalled disaster. Paula had thought they had come out of that situation more unified and stronger. Sophie had been open about their relationship to her friends, referred to Paula as her girlfriend in public and kissed her softly outside the car in the street.

Paula just wanted all of that back. If Sophie calmed down and wanted to talk, then despite the hurt and bruised bride, Paula would make another go of it in a heartbeat. The lump in her throat felt thick and hard and she tried to swallow it down again. It didn’t stop tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. The solicitor tried to subtly rub them away with her thumbs, desperate that Sally wouldn’t see her cry. It was impossible to hide when the other woman was sat just three foot away from her.

“You’ve split up” Sally guessed.

Paula nodded her head – looking down at the table between them to hide her forlorn expression. They hadn’t spoke about Sophie since the day of the pre-trial hearing. Paula had presumed it was a no-go topic. So, it surprised the solicitor that her old school friend looked saddened by the news.

“We should go through this paperwork, we don’t have much time” Paula suggested – keen to move the conversation away from Sally’s daughter and back to business.

The solicitor started to shuffle the papers in front of her. They were already in the right order but fiddling with them gave Paula’s restless hands something to do. When she glanced up at her old school friend, ready to try and talk about the case, she knew instantly that Sally wasn’t ready to let the topic go yet. She had that glint in her eye, similar to the one she had when trying to set Paula up with Kevin, like a dog with a bone.

“I’m sorry” Sally blurted out.

“What are you sorry for?” Paula puzzled.

Sally leant forward and rested her chin the palm of her hands. The blonde’s gaze was penetrating, causing Paula to wriggle awkwardly in her chair.

 “If I hadn’t reacted the way I did then I wouldn’t be in here and I’d have told her exactly the same thing as you about lying to the police” Sally explained.

The solicitor was momentarily stunned. It wasn’t something that happened often to her. It was no surprise that Sally wished the outcome of that day had been different and probably regretted making the rash decision of sacking Paula. It was a surprise that the other woman felt bad that her reaction may have triggered off a chain of events that led to Paula’s heartbreak. She hadn’t expected an apology and didn’t really think the situation warranted one. There had been mistakes in judgement from all sides. She and Sophie would have been better being upfront in hindsight, Tim should never had attacked Duncan (or bloody Imran for that matter) and Gina shouldn’t have covered up evidence. Sally tantrum had been just the tip of the iceberg.

“I’d have probably reacted the same Sally” Paula sighed.

Or at least – she’d have reacted badly. If she would have walked in on Sally and Isla she’d have hit the roof no doubt.  

“No, you wouldn’t, you’ve got more sense” the blonde laughed - “you’d have at least waited until after the pre-trial to sack me.”

Paula couldn’t deny that. She would have tried to get through the day before kicking Sally to the curb. The solicitor doubted if she had quite as much ‘sense’ as Sally seemed to think though. Otherwise she would have steered clear of her friend and client’s daughter regardless of how beautiful and intriguing she was. Speaking of which, time was ticking by now whilst they talked about personal issues and not professional ones.

“Let’s focus on this appeal hey, or you’ll be stuck in here a while longer” Paula instructed.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Sophie had been avoiding her mum’s calls like the plague. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn’t bare the thought of having to answer questions about Ryan. Also, although the topic of her and Paula’s relationship had been off the menu, her mum usually mentioned the other woman in regard to the case. Sophie wasn’t sure she could even cope with that right now.

She missed Paula like crazy and wished she could turn back time. The last two nights she had sat up in her bed reading and re-reading their texts, trying to find the courage to message the older woman. Her courage had failed her though. Paula was a sophisticated, intelligent and beautiful woman – the fact she had looked at Sophie at all had been miraculous. The solicitor could snap her fingers and have anyone she wanted so why would she be interested in some young temperamental idiot who hadn’t appreciated what they had. No Sophie had made her bed, now she was left alone to cry in it.

Her mum had turned to a new tactic and sent Tim to demand she went in at visiting time today. Her shift pattern meant she would be finished on time to get there, especially as Tim had been instructed to deliver her to the doors of the prison himself. So, Sophie had reluctantly agreed – it had been hard to argue when he had cornered her in work – it would have drawn to much attention.

That’s how she found herself, sat at a table in the dank visiting room and surrounded by strangers – waiting for her mum to arrive. When Sally did enter and walk towards the table Sophie cringed. The bruising on her mum’s face was now faint but still present. It was that horrible yellowy colour that made you look like your skin was rotting. It wasn’t the best look, but it served to make the young woman guilty for staying away for over a week.

“Hi Soph” her mum greeted as she took the seat opposite her.

Sally stretched her hand across the table and Sophie grasped it firmly in her own. It was the first physical contact, other than Michelle practically assaulting her, that she had allowed in days. She’d feared if anyone hugged her then she’d break down in tears again. This felt good though, not just to comfort her but also so to act as reassurance that her mum was okay too - or at least relatively speaking.

The conversation that followed was mundane. It consisted of ten minutes of Sally talking about her case, prison food and the poor showering facilities. It surprised Sophie that her mum hadn’t dived straight into the ‘Ryan’ conversation but she suspected they would get there eventually. At some point the conversation would conveniently lead on to the topic.

That’s not exactly what happened though. Once Sally had finished ranting about the low power in the shower block the conversation came to a sudden, crashing halt. The silence suddenly sat awkwardly between them. Then her mum took a deep breath and finally ploughed onto the topic that Sophie had been dreading more than anything.

“Paula was here this morning” Sally informed her - “she told me about Ryan and the police.”

It was a double whammy – Paula and Ryan in one sentence. Worse than that, Paula had told her mum about how she had lied to the police before retracting the statement. Sophie could see the disappointment on her mum’s face and she wasn’t sure whether her overwhelming feeling at the moment was anger at Paula practically snitching on her or hurt at the mere mention of the solicitor’s name. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“I don’t want to talk about it mum” Sophie entreated.

The last thing her mum needed now was to sit helplessly and watch her daughter sob mercilessly into her hands. If they had this conversation, that was surely going to be the outcome. Sally reached across the table, just like earlier, and grasped her hand again – giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Can I just say one thing?” her mum implored.

Sophie sighed and nodded her agreement. There was little point protesting because when her mum had something in her head then nothing would stop her. She was like a bull in a china shop when she got the bit between her teeth.

“She’s heartbroken” Sally said gently - “when she told me about the two of you splitting up she cried.”

Everything felt like it slammed to a halt in that moment. Time, the noise of the other inmates and their visitors – it all just filtered out so that all Sophie could hear was the hammering of her heart against her rib cage. The only thing that kept her tethered to the present was the squeeze of her mum’s hand around her own.

“I just thought you should know” Sally pushed carefully.

If Paula was still upset now – so upset that she told Sophie’s mum about it – then there was hope still. Because Sophie had expected Paula to walk away from the relationship and not look back. It was the reason she couldn’t bring herself to press sent on the message she typed last night asking if they could meet up – before giving up and deleting it. Sophie hadn’t been able to bear the thought the reply may be one of rejection.

Now, at the prospect that it may all still be rescuable, Sophie could barely breath. She released her mum’s hand and jumped straight to her feet, grabbing her coat before she realised it would be terrible of her just to charge out. Especially as her mum had sort of just given them her blessing. There was no other way to interpret the other woman’s blatant attempt to get them back together.

“I need to go…” Sophie started to explain – but her mum cut her off.

“I know” Sally chuckled.

She launched across the table and kissed her mum on the cheek, earning herself an angry shout from one of the guards. It barely registered on Sophie, her mind now set on fixing the mess she had made.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

It had been a long day. Paula had been at the prison early to see Sally, then headed back to the office to make as many phone calls as possible in her attempts to reinstate Sally’s bail agreement. It was starting to look very promising that she could achieve that within the next few days.

There was also another case that she was working on that was creeping close to trial and needed some attention. That meant that she hadn’t escaped for the evening until gone seven and hadn’t arrived home until half past. The house was silent as Isla was at her dad’s, there was also little food in the house because Paula had flung herself into her work so much this week that she hadn’t shopped. Last night she had resorted to ordering the two of them a Chinese, it looked like she would be getting take away tonight too. All this moping and misery wasn’t doing her diet any good.

She kicked off her black heels and picked up the leaflet for the pizza place just a couple of streets away. It was rare she ordered for just herself so had no idea what to get, especially when you had to spend over a tenner to get the bloody thing delivered. There was certainly no way she was venturing back out again tonight. Just as she was weighing up the pro’s and cons between ordering a calzone pizza or just trying to throw together an omelette from the contents of her fridge, the door bell rang out.

Paula put the leaflet back down on the kitchen island. She certainly wasn’t expecting company tonight and Isla had a key to let herself back in if she was sick of her dad already. She plodded down the hall in her bare feet, opening the front door fractionally so she could peer out. If it was anyone wearing a political ribbon or holding some religious leaflet, then the door was getting firmly slammed in their face. Instead, when she realised who was on her doorstep, she nearly smacked herself in the face in her hurry to open the door fully.

“Sophie!” she exclaimed.

Paula had been hanging on to hope that they were not over, but with every passing day that Sophie hadn’t called that hope had eroded away a bit more. Now, with the young brunette stood on her doorstep, her body thrummed with it. Her eyes roamed the younger woman’s face, worried that maybe Sophie was here because something was wrong. She wanted to reach out to her, brush away the stray strands of hair that had been pushed out of place by the wind. Paula wasn’t sure if such an intimacy would be welcomed so she grasped the door a little harder, hard enough for her knuckles to whiten, trying to temper the urge.

“Hi” the younger woman greeted nervously - “can I come in?”

“Of…of course,” Paula stuttered – mentally kicking herself for not offering straight away.

She stepped aside so Sophie had space to enter, closing the door behind the younger woman. Sophie stopped in the hallway, glancing around despite the fact she’d been there a few times before. Paula reached out her hand, gently removing Sophie’s bag and hanging it up on one of the spare pegs. The younger woman shrugged her leather jacket off and handed it over, their hands brushing in the process.

Paula’s hand paused against Sophie’s smooth warm skin and her breath hitched in the back of her throat. It was the small things that Paula had missed the most. The regular texts, Sophie’s smile, the physical contact they usually shared when spending time together. A hand rested on the others thigh, caressing each other’s hands, their knees bumping together as they animatedly chatted. It was both a cruel reminder of what she had lost and a strong motivator to try and make things right again.

Sophie wasn’t unaffected by touch either. The younger woman was slow to drop her hand, her cheeks blushed a lovely shade of pink and her eyes drew closed. When Sophie did finally draw her hand away, Paula swallowed down the lump that was rapidly forming in the back of her throat and mentally shook herself. She was a grown woman – a solicitor for crying out loud. She should be able to have a constructive conversation with the person she had fallen in love with.

She guided Sophie in the direction of the kitchen, silence lingering between them. The younger woman’s eyes were drawn to the take-out menu on the island – the only thing out of place in the well-ordered room except for Paula’s discarded shoes.

“I was just about to order something to eat – I haven’t really had time to shop this week” Paula started to babble – “have you ate? Would you like something to eat? Or maybe a drink?”

None of it was coming out as smoothly as she’d hoped – or smoothly at all for that matter. Paula tried to rescue the situation by grabbing them two wine glasses, placing them down onto the island, and heading over to the wine rack to find a decent glass of red. Something strong enough she could practically chew on it seemed in order. There was a nice bottle of cabernet sauvignon that looked just the ticket.

It wasn’t until she had uncorked the bottle and turned back to her guest, that Sophie finally spoke.

“I’ve just come from seeing my mum” the younger woman said quietly.

Paula had only seen Sally herself this morning. They had been hard pressed to go over all the information in the time they had remaining after their discussion about Sophie. The solicitor had a horrible feeling that her friend had brought up the same conversation with her daughter. Sally liked to meddle. Sophie didn’t like being meddled with.

The younger woman didn’t seem angry though, just quiet. It made Paula concerned that perhaps something had happened to Sally – had she been beaten up again? Perhaps Sophie wasn’t here to talk about them at all, perhaps she wanted information about the case?

“Everything okay?” Paula asked as she poured them both a small amount of wine.

She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, the last thing she needed was to start pouring copious amounts of wine down her throat. Lord only knows what she would come out with in the heat of the moment if she started getting tipsy.

“No” Sophie sniffed.

Paula looked up from her glass of wine instantly – hyper aware that the younger woman sounded like she was about to cry. She was right, Sophie twitched her cheeks a couple of times to try and prevent it, but tears came anyway. Sophie wrapped her arms protectively around herself but braved looking directly at the older woman.

Paula placed her glass down and rounded the island towards the other woman. She hated seeing or hearing Sophie cry, it had happed twice before and both times it had nearly broken Paula’s heart. The first time was when they found out about the result of the hearing, the second time was on the phone after Sally had been beaten up. They had been ‘together’ then but even though Sophie had terminated the relationship a few days ago, Paula still felt a stab of pain in her chest.

She reached out and put a comforting hand on one of Sophie’s lower arms, splaying her fingers out in what she hoped would be a comforting touch – not an unwelcome one. It seemed to make the tears fall harder though so she went to remove the hand instantly. Sophie reached out immediately to stop her, grasping Paula’s elbow and stepping closer to the older woman. Close enough for the solicitor to feel Sophie’s shuddering breaths on her skin and smell her perfume.

“I’m sorry for what I said to you – I’m sorry for pushing you away” Sophie sobbed - “I know you are probably hurt and angry…maybe you even thought it was childish…”

The younger woman chocked on the last couple of words, so stopped to try and draw breath. Paula on the other hand was holding back her own tears – tears of relief that they had now opened up a dialogue and tears for how distraught Sophie was. She could feel the fear emanating from the other woman. Fear that there would be no forgiveness and perhaps a wider fear that Sophie had been harbouring all along. That Paula would one day see her as young and foolish and suddenly stop being attracted to her. It was ironic that one of the solicitor’s own fears was that Sophie would look at her one day after the honeymoon period of the relationship was over and suddenly find the age gap too insurmountable.

If they both feared, then they both hoped. Paula had read that somewhere. That you couldn’t have hope without fear or fear without hope. She couldn’t remember where, but it gave her the courage to pull Sophie into her arms. The younger woman came instantly and threw her arms around Paula’s neck, clinging on to the solicitor like her life depended on it.

It felt good to hold her again despite the fact she could feel Sophie’s whole-body tremble and shudder with every quiet sob. She could feel the hot tears running of Sophie’s cheeks and onto her neck and shirt collar where the younger woman’s face was nestled.   

“I don’t want to lose you Paula” Sophie pleaded - “please don’t leave me.”

Paula’s heart raced at the other woman’s admission. She hadn’t wanted to be apart in the first place, five sad and lonely days hadn’t changed that. She was still very much Sophie’s and thankfully it appeared Sophie was still hers. The solicitor wasn’t a religious person like Sophie – she was technically Christian too – but hadn’t set foot in a church for mass in years. However, she would happily thank Christ, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the holy ghost and the damn donkey right now.

“I’m not going anywhere love” Paula promised – emphasising her words with a firm kiss to Sophie’s temple.

The other woman pulled back out of the hug slightly, only to pull Paula back in for a desperate and passionate kiss. Their lips crashing together eagerly, arms and hands pulling each other flush together as they moaned eagerly into each other’s mouths. She could taste the salt from Sophie’s tears on her lips, but it didn’t matter – it barely registered.

Paula manoeuvred the younger woman whilst they frantically kissed, so that Sophie’s lower back pressed firmly against the kitchen island. It was becoming heated quickly, but Paula didn’t want to just make up by ripping each other’s clothes off and falling into bed. It would plaster over the issues for tonight, but they would still be lingering tomorrow. No, she wanted to talk it all through now – she wanted to know how Sophie was coping with Ryan’s death and all the other shit that the younger woman was going through. There would be plenty of other opportunities for them to wash away the week with heated touches and passion.

So, Paula slowed the kiss down, languid open-mouthed kisses replaced the heated mash of tongue, teeth and lips from before. Now, as their tongues slowly explored each other there was time to appreciate every stroke and Paula revelled in the little whimpers and moans the kiss drew from Sophie. When they finally did pull apart they were both elated and completely breathless. Paula’s heaving chest and rapid heartbeat was matched by the younger woman’s own. Their dishevelled state from simply kissing brought a smile to Sophie’s face and Paula laughed with unadulterated joy.

“That pizza sounds good” the younger woman said after catching her breath.

“Yeah?” Paula smiled – pleased that Sophie was planning on stopping for a while – possibly the entire night.

“Yeah” Sophie nodded – “what self-respecting lesbian could turn down an offer of pizza, red wine and the company of their intelligent and beautiful girlfriend?”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated x


	3. On A Night Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paula and Sophie’s date turns into a sleepover. AKA – the night before the pre-trial hearing and the early morning lift back to the cobbles.  
> This chapter has decidedly more 'adult' content!

Paula carried the two strawberry pom mojito cocktails across from the bar and over to the table where Sophie sat against the far wall. The younger woman smiled as soon as she saw her approaching and reached out to take one of the drinks. Paula sat down next to her on the bench seat, a little closer than she had been previously, so their thighs were touching. They were on their third cocktail, having had a glass of red wine with their meal, and she was starting to feel a little buzzed.  

Paula had been oddly nervous about arranging her first proper date with Sophie. They had met for coffee a couple of times and had lunch together in the couple of weeks since they had shared their first kiss on the sofa, but those occasions had been less intimate than a proper evening date. They had all been relatively short – an hour or so stolen between one of them working – finished with a soft kiss goodbye. This was an opportunity to spend a few hours in each other’s company in a setting of Paula’s choosing.

She’d fretted over it for a whole day before picking a nice Spanish tapas restaurant she had used for a couple of business meetings in the past. The food was great and once they had finished eating it had a separate bar with cocktails. Paula had never been in the bar before but had been told by several different people that it was one of the best around. It hadn’t disappointed.

They had shared some tapas dishes and ordered two deserts, a Spanish version of a cheesecake and chocolate mousse, which they had also ended up sharing. The conversation had flowed easily as they both got to know each other a bit better and Paula had barely been able to take her eyes of her beautiful companion. Sophie had seemed equally as attentive and Paula had caught a few lingering longing glances thrown her way. About an hour ago they had paid their bill (Sophie had insisted they split it fifty-fifty) and moved into the bar.

It was a lively venue but its dark wooden walls, soft lighting and well-spaced out tables it also made it quite intimate. It certainly gave them the freedom to enjoy each other’s company, without always looking over their shoulders for fear of getting caught. And Paula was enjoying that freedom. She was enjoying the fact she could touch Sophie’s arm or hand whilst they chatted and how their lower legs pressed together because they had been angled towards each other in the seat. She longed for even more though, so on retaking her seat Paula reached out and entwined Sophie’s free hand with her own. 

The younger woman glanced down at their joined hands with a look of wonderment, before pulling them into her lap. Sophie’s thumb started to slowly brush across her own, fingers lightly playing with one another’s. Paula’s heart thudded harder in her chest at how right it felt. It was a less than ideal situation, falling for the daughter of the person she was representing, and a friend’s daughter no less. She had been so entranced by Sophie that first time that they met that she couldn’t help herself. Every moment they had shared together since had convinced the older woman that despite the fact they had to keep it secret for now, it had been the right choice.

“Thank you for tonight, it’s been perfect” Sophie spoke up.

The sincerity in the young woman’s eyes made Paula’s chest flutter. She was glad Sophie had found the evening as wonderful as she had.

“Yes, it has” she agreed – smiling warmly at the other woman as she spoke.

Sophie dipped her head and grinned, colour rising to her cheeks, before trying to cover up the blush by taking a couple of sips of the fruity cocktail. Paula couldn’t contain her own grin as she watched the younger woman. Sophie looked great tonight – not that she didn’t look great all the time – but her hair was down and styled and her make-up was on point. She was wearing chequered trousers and a white fitted t-shirt – her leather jacket folded on the bench next to them. The younger woman had a quirky style all of her own and Paula loved it.

“Have I mentioned how stunning you look tonight?” the solicitor flirted.

Sophie blushed even more – her eyes flicking up to look at Paula. It was clear that although she was shy about being complimented, that she was also enjoying the older woman’s attention.  

“Yes” Sophie smirked - “more than once.”

The younger woman took a longer sip of her drink before placing her glass back on the table. Sophie tilted her head and flirtatiously smiled at her, her eyes drifting down and then dragging back up Paula’s shirt covered chest. The solicitor felt a shot of arousal at the other woman’s blatant appreciation.

She put her own cocktail down on the table next to Sophie’s, then reached out and cupped a soft cheek with her right hand, drawing Sophie towards her for a slow and deep kiss. The younger woman responded eagerly despite the public setting – winding her fingers into Paula’s shorter hair and tugging their upper bodies closer. It was reminiscent of their first kiss, but more confident and without the initial hesitancy. Paula’s heart was racing wildly in her chest and her body hummed with desire.

She slowly pulled out of the kiss and straightened enough to put a little air between her and the other woman, in the hope it would calm the raging fire in the pit of her stomach. Sophie looked just as aroused – the younger woman’s eyes were still closed as she took some deep steadying breaths. Paula dropped the hand she had cupped Sophie’s cheek with to rest on the other woman’s knee. The other woman placed her hand on Paula’s own – resting other arm across the back of the bench behind her shoulders.

“What was that for?” Sophie breathed.

“Because I wanted too” Paula replied smoothly, despite how worked up she was feeling.

The younger woman’s smile morphed from a smirk into a full-blown grin. The solicitor smiled back questioningly, wondering what amused Sophie so much about such a simple answer.

“You really are straight to the point, aren’t you?” the other woman chuckled.

Paula knew she was referring to the first day they met again. She had made a lame excuse to go around and see Sophie again when she knew Sally was still at work and they would most likely be alone. She had only managed to keep the pretence up for a couple of minutes before telling Sophie that she was actually there because she wanted to see her again. The younger woman had said something like ‘blimey you don’t hang around, do you?’. It had sealed Paula’s fascination with the beautiful woman.

“I was under the impression you liked that about me?” the solicitor flirted.

It had certainly always received a positive reaction from the younger woman before – whether it be face to face or via text message.

“I do” Sophie agreed.

The younger brunette picked up her cocktail and drank most of it in two large gulps. Paula quirked an eyebrow – curious to know what the sudden rush was. She had planned to draw out this drink as it really should be their last of the night. It was Sally’s pre-trial hearing tomorrow – Paula probably shouldn’t have gone out at all tonight, so it certainly couldn’t be a late one. Still, she wanted to draw the night out a little bit longer.

She picked her own drink up and took a couple of much smaller sips than the younger woman had.

“Can I be honest with you?” Sophie asked as she placed the virtually empty glass back down again.

“Of course -” Paula responded – between sips of the fruity drink.

The younger woman leant forward so they were virtually nose to nose. The hand that was resting on the bench by Paula’s shoulder came up to toy with the tips of her hair. Her breath caught in the back of her throat again when she noted the desire in Sophie’s eyes.

“I want you to take me back to yours tonight” the younger woman purred.

Sophie’s confidence totally caught Paula by surprise. She liked it – she really liked it in fact. Her whole body felt considerably warmer all of a sudden and her mouth dry. Paula swallowed audibly – trying to wet her mouth so she could form words. It had no effect and in the end all she managed was a slow nod.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

The fifteen-minute taxi ride was filled with anticipation. The two women had sat next to each other, Paula by the window and Sophie on the middle seat. Their thighs and shoulders were touching, and Paula could feel the heat radiating off the younger woman. Sophie’s hand gripped lightly at her thigh, her fingers lightly brushing over the material of Paula’s jeans. It was steadily driving the older woman wild.  

She wanted to kiss other woman again but didn’t want to give the taxi driver a free show. Instead she managed to hold some sort of conversation with the talkative man – only half listening to his chatter about local bars he would recommend. Sophie said very little, her attention seemed to be rapt on Paula which only made the solicitor even hotter under the collar. So much so that as soon as pulled up outside her house, Paula practically threw a twenty-pound note at him and told him to keep the change.

She grabbed Sophie’s hand as soon as they climbed out of the taxi and led the younger woman up the front path towards the front door. It was dark and unlikely that any of the neighbours would see them – Paula couldn’t care less anyway – all she wanted was to get inside the privacy of her home and in a hurry. She had to release the hand to fumble in her clutch bag for the front door key. Once she had located it she set about trying to open the lock, something which was made more difficult when Sophie pressed into the back of her, brushed the longer side of her hair aside and began peppering hot kisses on the column of her neck. 

“Sophie love we’ll still be stood out here at midnight if you keep distracting me like that” Paula moaned.

The younger woman smiled against her neck before stepping back enough to put some clear air between the two of them. Paula returned her focus to the door and managed to unlock it swiftly. As soon as it was open she tugged Sophie into the house by the lapel of her leather jacket, slamming the door shut behind them. The younger woman dropped her bag on the floor and pressed against her immediately - kissing her soundly. It was open mouthed and passionate, the privacy allowing them to be more exploratory than previous kisses. Paula could taste the strawberry cocktail on Sophie’s tongue and something that was uniquely the other woman.

Sophie’s hands seemed to be roaming anywhere they could reach before settling on the buttons of Paula’s blazer. She rushed the buttons open and tugged it over the older woman’s shoulders, discarding that and the clutch that Paula had still been grasping on the floor too.

The solicitor followed the younger woman’s lead and tugged down the zip on the sexy leather jacket. Sophie shrugged it off quickly, so she could wrap her arms around Paula and pull them flush against each other. The following kiss was heated and messy – Sophie’s hands untucked Paula’s shirt, easing them underneath the material. The older woman moaned into the kiss when the palms of those hands splayed across the skin of her lower back.

They didn’t stay there for long, as Sophie eased them around to her front and began unbuttoning the shirt from the bottom up. The younger woman managed the task surprisingly smoothly without breaking the kiss. She pulled the shirt open but didn’t remove it – breaking the kiss to lower her mouth to Paula’s neck and collar bone – peppering kissed there. The older woman tilted her head back to give Sophie more access, burying her hands in the other woman’s hair.

When Sophie straightened up again she pressed a quick kiss to Paula’s mouth before leaning back and admiring the older woman. Her eyes ran down Paula’s exposed bra and stomach. The solicitor could feel a flicker of self-consciousness – she was a lot older than Sophie after all – but she kept her hands rested lightly on the other woman’s shoulders and stood tall.

“You’re so hot” Sophie breathlessly complimented her.

“Speak for yourself” Paula chuckled.

The younger woman’s admiration was plain to see. It thrilled Paula that she was desired like that. It would be nice from anyone but there was something special about the sentiment coming from Sophie. Paula was falling for the other woman, hard and fast.

She reached her hand out, palm up, to Sophie. They younger woman grasped it instantly and Paula led them in the direction of the stairs. They kept stopping every few steps to kiss each other so it took several minutes to reach Paula’s bedroom. She turned the reading light on by the bed but left the main light off. As soon as she turned back to the younger woman Sophie kissed her soundly again.

Paula tugged Sophie’s white top over her head and flung it to the side somewhere. Sophie’s chequered pants and her own jeans following swiftly so the younger woman was left in only her underwear. Paula shook her own open shirt off before walking the younger woman backwards towards the bed. Sophie sat down on the edge of the bed and grasped her hips, pulling her to stand between the younger woman’s legs.

Sophie kissed the top of her breasts, just above the cup of her bra. The younger woman slid her hands behind Paula’s back and unhooked the bra. She shrugged it off – gasping loudly when Sophie immediately latched her lips around her right nipple. The younger woman scraped her teeth lightly over the sensitive flesh before soothing her tongue over and around the peak.

“Soph” Paula gasped the other woman’s name.

She could feel the younger woman smile against her skin before switching breasts to give the other nipple the same attention. Paula was enjoying Sophie’s confidence, but she was desperate to touch and explore the younger woman first. She cupped the eager woman’s cheeks and encouraged her to look up at her.

“Lie down” Paula instructed when their eyes met.

Sophie obeyed and shuffled back on the bed, so she was lying in the middle of it, propped up on her elbows. The solicitor followed her onto the bed, kneeling to the side of the younger woman and kissing her gently on the lips. She slipped her hand underneath Sophie back and unclasped her bra, pulling back from the kiss to allow the other woman to remove it completely.

She placed her hand on Sophie’s sternum and gently pressed her down, so she was lying flat on the bed. She lay down on her side next to Sophie and slowly ran her fingertips down from the sternum to her naval. The younger woman shivered at the light touch, her eyes fluttering shut.  

Sophie’s body was amazing. She was thin without being too skinny, with smooth curves and unmarred silky skin. Her long dark brown hair was splayed out across the pillow, a contented expression on her face.

“You really are so beautiful” Paula gushed.  

She kissed the younger woman’s jaw – just below her ear – moving her lips down the column of Sophie’s neck. There was an area just above the sternoclavicular joint that made the other woman moan loudly. She nipped at the sensitive patch with her teeth before smoothing it over with her tongue. Sophie gripped at Paula’s shoulders, encouraging her on.

She moved her lips lower again, kissing a line across the younger woman’s left collar bone and then the right. Paula wanted to explore every inch of Sophie’s body – press her lips against every bit of skin. She brought her hand up to palm at Sophie’s right breast, enjoying the weight of it in her hand. She traced the curve of the left breast with her tongue before flicking it across the younger woman’s hardening nipple.

Sophie moaned and whimpered under her ministrations – the sounds driving Paula wild. She was determined not to hurry their first time though – wanted Sophie to remember this night for a long long time to come.  

Paula moved lower again, kissing the ribs below the breasts before moving down her stomach. Sophie wiggled her hips as she moved lower and Paula knew she must be driving the younger woman mad with the slow path she was taking to where Sophie needed her the most. Paula’s thumb had been affectionately circling Sophie’s hip bone (which protruded put just above her black underwear) as she explored the soft skin of her stomach. When she replaced the thumb with her lips the other woman finally cracked.  

“Please Paula” Sophie begged.

She wasn’t about to deny her younger lover when asked like that, so Paula grasped the top of Sophie’s underwear and slowly tugged it down her legs. As soon as the black material was removed, Paula drew Sophie’s legs apart and settled between them. She looked up at the younger woman to make sure she had her consent. Sophie had propped up onto her elbows and was watching her with a look of unadulterated lust. Paula was more than confident that was a yes.

Sophie was already swollen and wet – a clear sign of her arousal. Paula couldn’t wait another second before tasting her, so she dipped her head and slowly dragged her tongue from the other woman’s opening, through her folds – stopping just short of where Sophie needed the pressure the most. The younger woman let out a strangled moan at the same time as Paula moaned in pleasure. She was going to enjoy every second of making Sophie fall apart below her.

She repeated the action several times before drawing her tongue up and onto the other woman’s clit. Sophie’s hips jumped up off the bed, so Paula used both hands to press them down again as she circled her tongue at a steady speed around the swollen nub.

“Oh god yes” Sophie hissed in pleasure.

Paula loved the sounds the other woman was making – loved the fact she was the sole cause of them. Despite the encouragement she didn’t speed up or rush, determined to draw the experience and pleasure out for both of them.

She spent several minutes slowly working her lover up – changing angles, changing pressure and alternating from faster flicks of the tongue to long slow strokes. Sophie was a writhing mess below her, the volume of her moans rising steadily. When Paula stopped what she was doing with her mouth and started kissing her way back up the younger woman’s body, Sophie let out a cry of protest.

Paula silenced it by crawling up the other woman’s body faster and kissing her passionately on the lips. Sophie responded eagerly, clearly unphased by tasting herself on Paula’s mouth. She was by no means finished with Sophie yet and as they kissed she reached down between them with her right hand – running two fingers through the slick heat of the other woman’s folds.

Those fingers found their destination quickly and she circled the entrance to Sophie’s sex – the younger woman bucking into them eagerly – before slowly pushing them deep inside her lover.

Sophie’s hands pressed against her shoulders – her fingernails biting into the skin of Paula’s upper back. She was sure there may be marks in the morning, but they would be well covered under any outfit. Besides, Paula liked the way Sophie was grasping at her – knew it was grounding the younger woman as she slowly but deeply began to thrust with her fingers. On every thrust in she curled both fingers forward, stroking the inside of Sophie’s walls and catching that deep sensitive spot. She drew every thrust out until the point her fingers were nearly slipping out of Sophie before thrusting in all the way to her knuckle again. Sophie moaned at each and every thrust – her whole-body thrumming with pleasure.

“Do you need me to go faster?” Paula asked.

She was loving fucking Sophie at this slow speed but if the other woman needed more than she was oh so willing to oblige.

“No this is perfect” Sophie encouraged.

Paula’s biceps burnt as she continued her steady but hard rhythm. It didn’t matter though, not when the younger brunette was writhing with pleasure at every thrust. Sophie was trying desperately to hold eye contact with Paula – her expressive brown eyes awash with desire – but they were flickering closed at a much more regular frequency as she built towards her crescendo. Paula couldn’t close her eyes. She didn’t want to miss one second of this – the way Sophie looked and sounded. She couldn’t remember having ever seen something so spectacular.

“You look so amazing” she purred - “I can’t wait to watch you come for me.”

Sophie let out a strangled moan in response and drew Paula’s mouth to her own by grasping the back of the older woman’s head. The kiss was open mouthed and messy – indicative of how quickly Sophie was nearing climax. Paula loved it. She loved how hot Sophie was for her and the level of need and desire the waitress was displaying. She loved how the younger woman was enjoying the slow ascent – not urging for a quick release.

“I’m so close” Sophie gasped against her mouth.

It was Paula that let out a strangled moan this time – her whole body reacting to Sophie’s words as she felt a hot rush of arousal. She could feel the younger woman’s body starting to contract and grip at her fingers, but Paula kept her rhythm and intensity despite how much it was starting to ache. She was rewarded with a loud cry of her name as Sophie tumbled over the edge into orgasmic bliss. The younger woman’s body arching underneath her as everything went tight and rigid before releasing – her walls spasming around Paula’s fingers for perhaps half a minute before finally relaxing.

Sophie had her eyes shut the entire time, but Paula watched every single second, marvelling in the absolute pleasure written across her younger lover’s face. Then, when Sophie stilled, there was absolute contentment. Paula thought that was the most beautiful expression she had seen so far, especially when Sophie opened her eyes and looked directly into the older woman’s.

“Wow” Sophie breathed.

“Mmmmm” Paula hummed in agreement.

She couldn’t remember having ever been so aroused by giving someone else pleasure before. She was embarrassingly wet and already incredibly sensitive. So, when Sophie suddenly rolled them - so Paula was now flat on her back with the other woman pressed down on top of her - the older woman let out a loud moan. Sophie’s eyes glinted when she realised how turned on Paula was – the evidence of which was pressed against the other woman’s thigh. Sophie grasped both her wrists and pulled them above her head on the pillow – pinning them down in an act of dominance (and confidence) that both surprised and thrilled Paula.

“That’s some level you have set me to follow” Sophie smirked sexily – “but I am so up for a challenge.”

Paula didn’t doubt her for a second.


End file.
